Colleges: Holy Cross baseball team set for Patriot League tournament

Holy Cross junior third baseman Mike Ahmed talks to his older brother Nick four or five times a week, and their conversations meant a lot when Mike was struggling at the plate earlier this season.

Nick, who played at the University of Connecticut and is now with the Arizona Diamondbacks’ Double-A affiliate in Mobile, Ala., can certainly relate to what Mike was going through.

“We talk a lot about putting stuff in perspective,” Mike said before Tuesday’s practice at Fitton Field. “We talk about doing all the right things and working hard and not thinking about the results. The results, if you put in the hard work, they’ll take care of themselves.”

So HC’s Ahmed kept at it, and his turnaround was a key part of the Crusaders’ second-half surge and run to their first Patriot League regular-season championship.

Holy Cross (26-23, 15-5) claimed the top seed for the PL tournament and will host fourth-seeded Bucknell in a best-of-three semifinal series this weekend. The 15 league victories were a program record.

On Tuesday, the Crusaders collected four major Patriot League awards as senior first baseman Jordan Enos was named Player of the Year and Scholar-Athlete of the Year; senior John Colella became the first reliever to be named Pitcher of the Year; and Greg DiCenzo earned his second Coach of the Year honor.

Ahmed, senior Patrick Puentes and sophomore Evan Ocello joined Enos and Colella on the All-PL first team. Junior Brandon Cipolla and sophomore Donny Murray were named to the second team.

“It’s always great when players are recognized for how hard they’ve worked,” DiCenzo said. “More than anything, I think it’s the commitment these players made to the program when it wasn’t off and running just yet. It’s a testament to how hard they work as athletes and their commitment to each other and the program.”

Before DiCenzo’s arrival six years ago, Holy Cross last finished above .500 in 1991. The Crusaders, who started this year 2-13, have posted three straight winning seasons.

“Coach is great at motivating us and getting the most out of us,” Ahmed said. “He preaches a hard-nosed, blue-collar work ethic and that really made me want to come here.”

Ahmed, who grew up in East Longmeadow, suffered a torn ACL the summer before arriving at Holy Cross and kind of had to grind through his freshman season. Last year, fully healthy, Ahmed started a HC record 55 games, mostly at third, batted .295 and led the team with 39 runs, 13 doubles and seven home runs while earning All-PL first-team honors. He also went 2-1 with a 3.24 ERA as a relief pitcher.

After playing for the Bourne Braves of the Cape Cod Baseball League last summer, Ahmed expected big things this year.

Battling wrist and shoulder injuries early in the season, Ahmed batted .229 in his first 29 games, but has been on a tear over the last 12 with 15 hits in 33 at-bats (.455). He batted .304 and led the league in stolen bases in PL games.

“I didn’t get down on myself,” Ahmed said, “but it’s frustrating when you’re not performing well and you know you should be. I just kept trying to get myself comfortable every day in my approach to hitting, staying consistent with that and getting into a good mindset. I know what I’m capable of and it was just a matter of time before it showed up.”

Ahmed has two doubles and two home runs during his hot stretch. He’s also contributed three wins and a save in nine pitching appearances.

“Once he got healthy, we knew the type of player he could be,” DiCenzo said. “It was a matter of him getting healthy, having a good outing on the mound and a good game offensively so he could gain confidence and build off that. All that played into him having a turnaround season. That was good for us as a ball club. He’s an integral piece to what we’re doing.”

Improved pitching and outstanding defense have also aided the team’s turnaround.

The Crusaders won three of four from Bucknell in late March. Bison sophomore Anthony Gingerelli of Worcester is batting .284. Saturday’s doubleheader is at 1 and 4. Sunday’s game, if necessary, is at 1.

“The team is excited and focused,” DiCenzo said. “At the beginning of the year, getting to .500 seemed miles away. Now, the road to the (NCAA) regional runs through Worcester, and I think that’s a neat experience for the guys and a pretty neat feeling to have.”

Nichols men’s tennis coach Paul Brower learned from two of the area’s best — John O’Neill, his coach at Quaboag Regional High School, and Ed Titus, his coach at Worcester State and member of the Lancers Hall of Fame — so his success with the Bison shouldn’t come as that much of a surprise.

On Saturday, Nichols captured its second straight Commonwealth Coast Conference championship by beating Roger Williams and earned a second consecutive berth in the NCAA Division 3 Championship. The men’s tennis team is the first Nichols program to make multiple NCAA appearances.

The Bison (18-5) will face Colby-Sawyer in a first-round match Thursday morning at Williams.

“It’s certainly been a building process the last few years,” said Brower, who is in his ninth season. “We’ve brought in some amazing kids over the course of the years and it’s evolved into a pretty strong program.”

Brower also guided the Nichols women’s tennis team to the NCAAs in 2010.

The men’s team features a mix of talented veterans like graduate student and captain David Drucker and senior Justin DeLuca, who went 8-0 in CCC play this season.

Brower was a big influence in Drucker transferring from a community college on Long Island. Drucker will finish his career as the program leader in singles and doubles victories.